All Teaching Resources

Brief design exercise in which students test and then edit a physical model of a window for both passive solar heating, and to control overheating. Students test using sun-peg chart/pocket heliodon (but could be done with a proper Helidon if available). Students construct an overshadowing mask with manual methods.

Lab exercise focused on envelope performance, specifically calculations of steady-state conduction, and simplified assessment of condensation risk (dew-point analysis). Lab includes a walking tour with IR camera to explore wall construction and performance, and students individually hypothesize and analyze those constructions, and compare to local energy code. Designed as an individual assignment.

My version of the ever-popular balance point game in which students modify a simple physical model of a building (a glass cube) to affect the internal temperature. This version is compressed to run in a one-hour lab, but still allow competitive game play. Focuses on various forms of heat transfer and storage, and on system dynamics. Can be played with elementary through PhD students, depending on how you frame the conversation. Designed for groups, and obviously requires construction of the boxes!

Lab exercise in which students construct a simple daylight model, predict the qualitative and quantitative distribution of light, and then measure the model under overcast conditions. Designed to be done as teams in a week, but could be expanded to address additional issues or made individual. See also the related Design exercise 8.

Design exercise exploring the ability of daylight to create various effects. Students use and modify the same physical model as in the analytical exercise 7. Designed to work with teams and take about a week, but could be adapted to individuals, and/or expanded to a larger project.

Spreadsheet to calculate grades for environmental systems. Based on 12 labs, readiness assessments, final exam and participation. includes multiple curving methods and anonymized sample data.

Summative assessment for the Environmental Systems course, organized around students assessing and then redesigning a case study building. This example uses Phillip Johnson's glass house. I typically keep the questions the same but change buildings ever year. I post the attached study guide the first day of class to help students know what they will have to know. The goal of this exam is not declarative knowledge, it requires some degree of procedural knowledge, and especially contextual knowledge and judgement to apply and integrate what has been learned all semester (especially in labs). As in life, on this exam, there is no right answer, but there are wrong answers, and some answers are definitely better than others.

Example of project assignment for the design analysis of noise in buildings using manual calculations and Noise Control 3D modeling software. It provides the opportunity to easily study the effect of different design factors on the noise.

In these slides you can find the information on how to calculate sound diffusion coefficient and one example that shows the use of acoustics wave-based modeling for large scale.